The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has revealed that it recently deployed the 2010 version of Microsoft's Lync unified communications server to some 32,000 staff across its operations, in one of the largest known roll-outs of the newly integrated and re-branded technology in Australia so far.

It's always interesting to watch the collective internet's response to moves by Microsoft, which are almost unanimously viewed with something bordering on suspicion and contempt. Yet, there seems to be very little consideration of the fact that Microsoft's US$8.5 billion has shrewdly turned the company into what is effectively the world's biggest global telecoms operator — and given it an express pass to use that operator to unify its massively popular desktop computing, enterprise and gaming environments with its nascent mobile effort.

Microsoft launched the latest version of its unified-communications server, now known as Lync Server, on November 17. The Lync Server and client aren't available for purchase until December 1, but a 180-day trial version is available to those interested in kicking the tires starting today.